Foot & Knee Ascenders

Foot ascenders put a cam on the climber's instep, which allows the climber to slide the ascender up the rope, then stand on that foot and straighten their body. This allows the larger muscles in the legs to advance the climbers weight, dramatically improving the ease of ascent. Like other cammed ascenders, a foot ascender is only helpful as the climber ascends the line, and will have to be disengaged to work the tree or descend. Some climbers prefer to remove the foot ascender once in the canopy, while others will simply disengage the foot ascender and continue to wear it.

Foot ascenders are a key component of Frog style SRT systems and can also be used when climbing MRT (Moving Rope Technique, formally DdRT) to make ascending much easier.

Knee ascenders place an ascender at knee height. This allows for two cammed devices to work in tandem without colliding on the line. A footloop is attached to the bottom and a bungee tether tends the ascender. Pairing a knee ascender with a foot ascender makes for a very efficient and quick ascension system.

HAAS Velox Ascent System

CLI520‑v

The HAAS Ascent System uses a bungee strap to tend an ascender knee height with an adjustable foot loop attached. Combined with a foot ascender on your dominant side, you can climb quickly and easily in single rope or doubled rope systems. Many climbers prefer this method of ascent to a traditional rope walker, as the HAAS makes climbing more intuitive and easier to coordinate.

The HAAS Velox has been updated into a one-size-fits all knee ascender with 30 inches of bungee elongation for a smooth return and rapid ascent. Adjustable foot strap, CT ascender, brass snap. Bungee is quickly replaceable without tools. HAAS Velox works with ropes up to 13mm (1/2") in diameter.

Camp Turbo Foot Ascender

Right Foot

asc190‑r

Left Foot

asc190‑l

Foot ascenders are about to take a big step with the advent of the Turbo ascender from Italian manufacturer CAMP. These foot ascenders are compact and lightweight as you would expect from top-quality climbing gear, but the real exciting development is in the rollers that sit opposite the tooth cam. These rollers increase ascending efficiency and reduce wear on your climbing lines and the ascender. The straps on the Turbo foot are easy to adjust and reinforced on the step. Available right or left. Fits 8mm-13mm rope (up to 1/2"). Weighs 4.8oz.

“I have been using the Camp turbofoot for a while now. A foot ascender has become a permanent fixture in my daily climbing system as it makes life so much easier with Doubled rope technique and is a must for SRT.

Pros:
The main body of this ascender is forged in one piece, giving it a really strong design. It is light weight, nice and compact.
The turbo foot tends really well and just glides up the line, the design shape along with the rollers seem to help it easily advance when low to the ground, even without weight on the rope (with most ropes).

Cons:
The adjustable strap that goes under the boot has a tendency to come loose as it seems to need the friction from your body weight as well as the buckle to keep it in place. This is an easy fix if you find this happens.
The buckles for the strap are good but aren't as good as on the older Pantin.
The spring for the cam should be stronger and you would rarely need to add a carabiner into the locking hole.
I am a climber that likes a locked foot ascender so it would be good if they offered it as an option to come with a locking cam.

Conclusion:
I believe the benchmark for foot ascenders has for a long time been the Petzl Pantin, but now that Petzl for some reason changed their design, this Camp TurboFoot is by far the best on the market and with a few tweaks/mods is just as good if not better.”

Employee Review by: Niceguydave

“The Camp Turbofoot presents a new option for a foot ascender at WesSpur. Camp, a well known manufacturer of alpine climbing equipment in Italy, has made an excellent foot ascender- a device commonly used in treework as a key component in a ropewalker system.

I have been using the right foot version for several months now and absolutely love it. It's nice and compact, roughly the size of the original Pantin, but the thing that really shines are the rollers on the aft part of the frame. They do an excellent job of reducing drag on ascent; on many ropes they remove the need to weight the rope or have someone hold it until you get a few feet off the ground.

I personally have always had a hard time using a foot ascender that doesn't have a lock, but the Turbofoot stays on the rope very well in a ropewalker system. When used with a floating knee ascender it has a carabiner hole that allows a micro biner to lock the cam on the rope. The geometry of the straps allows the Turbofoot to sit perfectly on the inside of the users boot. The instep portion of the strap relies on friction from the sole of the boot to keep its adjustment. On some boots the tread interferes with this, but the issue is easily fixed by a bit of tape or a stitch. The webbing is a robust flat 3/4" width, with a very secure buckle. This is the slickest foot ascender I have ever used and I am currently replacing the other ascenders in my training kits with the Camp Turbofoot. ”

Rated: Excellent Review by: Rulgert

“WesSpur really pulled through for me, on the pre-order, with a last minute change from the Right to the Left foot model, in best suit to my new climbing rig design as it evolved...the shipping was prompt as could be upon their obtaining the goods.

Though just good would be an understatement, the CAMP Turbo Foot self tails right off the ground!!! Besides being lighter and smoother, imagine also erasing that initial lump of aggravation in the first few feet X every single time from the day you belt a CAMP to your ankle and call it your mainstay punt.”

Rated: Good Review by: Richie

“I have been using my Camp Turbo ascender for a couple of months now. It is very light and smooth. I climb mostly SRT with the Turbo on my right foot and a knee ascender on my left. The Turbofoot is very smooth on HTP, Platinum, and Velocity. Even though these lines are very lightweight, the ascender advances easily after a few feet.

The main drawback for me is there is no locking feature. The climb line can pop out easily unless you are careful with your foot placement. This is easily remedied with a small carabiner, but there should be a locking feature. Fumbling with an accessory 'biner down at your ankle is a pain, and I have had my groundies searching for my dropped XSRE in the sawdust when they could have been clearing or cutting brush.
Overall the Turbofoot is a good quality ascender that will be used daily. I just wish they would have incorporated a locking function like the Petzl Basic has.”

Petzl Pantin Foot Ascender (2016 Model)

Right Foot

ASC153‑r

Left Foot

asc153‑l

Right Strap

ASC153‑sr

Left Strap

asc153‑sl

Petzl's Pantin foot ascender has been updated in 2016 with improved performance and a separate catch which can be added to help keep the pantin on the rope during ascents. The Pantin is super-sleek and low-profile, and quick to get install and remove from the rope, and easily adjustable with friction buckles. Works with ropes from 8mm to 13mm. Weighs only 3 oz.

Replacement straps are also available to help keep your ascender in top shape.

Quick Step Foot Ascender

Right Foot

asc185‑r

Left Foot

asc185‑l

An easy-to-install foot ascender with fully-adjustable webbing, reinforced on the bottom with tubular webbing. The Quick Step is balanced to avoid twisting, and can be removed from the line with a simple, backwards motion. Aluminum body, 1/2" capacity. This is a great mid-sized foot ascender, sizing in right between the Pantin and CMI foot ascenders. Choose between right foot (orange) and left foot (gray). Rope and boots sold separately. Weighs 6.5 oz.

CMI Foot Ascender

Right Foot

asc114‑r

Left Foot

asc114‑l

Rope climbing is made easier by the CMI Foot Ascender. The addition of this boot-mounted device maintains tension on the rope, allowing for easier advancement of the main ascender, and promotes better use of body mechanics by keeping your body in an upright position. The body is crafted from anodized aluminum, and the hard coated cams carry CMI's exclusive wear-out guarantee, the same as our popular Ultrascenders ascenders. 1/2” capacity.

Spikescender from Kiwi Klimber

For Climb Right - Right

asc151‑c‑r

For Climb Right - Left

asc151‑c‑l

The new Spikescender from KiwiKlimbers is a device with a toothed cam that bolts onto your Gecko or Distel spurs, allowing you to tend the slack in your climbing system with your foot. This is a great time-saver for large removals where it makes more sense to enter on ropes, then transfer to spurs for chunking it down. Also available are spacers for the opposite side, for those who want their spurs to be offset the same amount on each side. (Spacer fits Distel/Gecko/Kiwi Klimber spurs only.)

Works with ropes from 11-12.7mm, designed to work best on double-braid 24-strands.